Loving Like Jesus (Women of the Word Bible Study Series)

By Sharon A. Steele and Jane Hoyt

Each of us has "hard-to-love" people in our lives. Sometimes they are those nearest and dearest to us! Loving Like Jesus, an interactive study ideal for individuals or small groups, helps women learn how to obey Jesus' commandment to love one another. First, believers must learn to understand the essence of genuine love and fully accept Jesus' love for us all. Only then can they move beyond personal feelings and extend His love to others. Loving Like Jesus features eight topical studies. Topics include "Love's Tremendous Importance," "Love's Incredible Power and Ultimate Source," "Love Is Sacrificing and Serving," "Love Covers Over Wrongs and Is Patient," and more. Each week's study examines a facet of love, digs into Scripture to find out what God's Word has to say about it, offers readers an opportunity to reflect on their own efforts to love, and suggests practical action steps to help women apply what they are learning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: May 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9781441269256

Sharon A. Steele

SHARON A. STEELE's deep love of teaching finds expression in preparing and leading an adult Bible study in her church. She and her husband have three adult children and four grandchildren. Sharon works at the Aglow International offices as well as for MOPS ministry.

Book preview

© 2011 Aglow International

Published by Chosen Books

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

chosenbooks.com

Chosen Books is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Chosen edition published 2014

ISBN 978-1-4412-6925-6

Previously published by Gospel Light

Originally published in 1999 in the Aglow Bible Study series as Loving As Jesus Loves.

Ebook edition originally created 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Other versions used are:

KJV—King James Version. Authorized King James Version.

MLB—Modern Language Bible, The New Berkeley Version. Copyright © 1945, 1959, 1969, 1971, 1987, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Peabody, MA 01960. Used by permission.

NASB—Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

NEB—From The New English Bible. © The Delegates of Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970, 1989. Reprinted by permission.

NKJV—Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

RSV—From the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

Aglow International is an interdenominational organization of Christian women and men. Our mission is to lead the lost to Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for believers to grow in their faith and minister to others. Our publications are used to help women and men find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to enhance growth in their Christian experience, and to help them recognize their roles and relationships according to Scripture. For more information about our organization, please write to Aglow International, P.O. Box 1749, Edmonds, WA 98020-1749, U.S.A., or call [phone]. For ordering or information about the Aglow studies and other resources, visit the Aglow e-store at www.aglow.org.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

How to Start and Lead a Small Group

1. Love Is Important

2. Love Is Powerful

3. Love Is Accepting

4. Love Is Forgiving

5. Love Is Sacrificing and Serving

6. Love Is Kind and Uplifting

7. Love Is Discerning

8. Love Covers Over Wrongs and Is Patient

Loving Like Jesus Leader’s Guide

FOREWORD

When the apostle Paul poured out his heart in letters to the young churches in Asia, he was responding to his apostolic call to shepherd those tender flocks. They needed encouragement in their new life in Jesus. They needed solid doctrine. They needed truth from someone who had an intimate relationship with God and with them.

Did Paul know as he was writing that these simple letters would form the bulk of the New Testament? We can be confident that the Holy Spirit did! How like God to use Paul’s relationship with these churches to cement His plan and purpose in their lives, and, generations later, in ours.

We in Aglow can relate to Paul’s desire to bond those young churches together in the faith. After 1967, when Aglow fellowships began bubbling up across the United States and in other countries, they needed encouragement. They needed to know the fullness of who they were in Christ. They needed relationship. Like Paul, our desire to reach out and nurture from far away birthed a series of Bible studies that have fed thousands since 1973 when our first study, Genesis, was published. Our studies share heart to heart, giving Christians new insights about themselves and their relationship with and in God.

In 1998, God’s generous nature provided us a rewarding new relationship with Gospel Light. Together we published our Aglow classics as well as a selection of exciting new studies. Gospel Light began as a publishing ministry much in the same way Aglow began publishing Bible studies. Henrietta Mears formed Gospel Light in response to requests from churches across America for the Sunday School materials she had written. Gospel Light remains a strong ministry-minded witness for the gospel around the world.

Our heart’s desire is that these studies will continue to kindle the minds of women and men, touch their hearts, and refresh their spirits with the light and life a loving Savior abundantly supplies.

This study, Loving Like Jesus by Sharon Steele, will guide you through accepting Jesus’ love and learning to extend His love to those people in your life who aren’t always easy to love. I know that its contents will richly reward you.

Jane Hansen Hoyt

International President

Aglow International

INTRODUCTION

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have

loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know

that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

JOHN 13:34-35

Although Jesus has commanded us to love one another, it seems that into everyone’s life God sends people who are difficult to love. In addition, we all know people for whom we may have genuine feelings of love, but at times our actions toward them are filled with anger, frustration and impatience. Feelings of love seem to disappear, and we find ourselves battling feelings of disgust, disappointment or even hatred.

God wants His children to become effective, powerful Christians by learning to love with Jesus’ love. Often as we attempt to love those who are difficult to love, we find ourselves locked into a fierce battle with Satan. He knows how difficult it is to love those who have hurt us, or even love the people we care about, so he tempts us to be filled with unresolved anger, bitterness and hatred. He knows that as we give in to those natural inclinations, we become ineffective and powerless as children of God.

Fortunately, with God’s help, we can learn to love others with Jesus’ love. Even when we do not have feelings of love, we can choose to perform the actions of love. The purpose of this study is threefold. Here is what careful examination of Jesus’ love and His teachings regarding love can do for you:

1. You can gain a clearer understanding of the true nature of genuine love. Too often the nature of love is misunderstood, and this study will clarify what love is and what love is not.

2. You will be encouraged to fully accept the love of Jesus for you. You cannot genuinely love others until the love of Jesus is active and real in your own life.

3. You will learn how to love even when you don’t feel love for others. You will be encouraged to put the practical actions of love into practice. You do not need to wait for feelings of love before you can perform loving actions.

As you understand, accept and practice Jesus’ love, you will give the feelings of love an atmosphere in which they can grow and mature. As His love is demonstrated in you, your joy will increase and others will recognize that you are truly His disciple.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

This Bible study is divided into four sections:

1. A Closer Look at the Problem defines the problem and the goal of the lesson.

2. A Closer Look at God’s Truth gets you into God’s Word. What does God have to say about the problem? How can you begin to apply God’s Word as you work through each lesson?

3. A Closer Look at My Own Heart will help you clarify and further apply Bible truth in your own life. It will also give guidance as you work toward loving others with the same love Jesus has shown to you.

4. Action Steps I Can Take Today is designed to help you concentrate on immediate steps of action.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• A Bible—The main Bible used in this study is the New International Version, but you can use whatever Bible translation you are used to reading.

• A Notebook—During this study you will want to keep a journal to record what God shows you personally. You may also want to journal additional thoughts or feelings that come up as you go through the lessons. Some questions may require more space than is given in this study book.

• Time to Meditate—Give the Holy Spirit time to personalize His Word to your heart so that you can know what your response should be to the knowledge you are gaining.

HOW TO START AND LEAD

A SMALL GROUP

One key to leading a small group is to ask yourself, What would Jesus